Both Bose and Sony are known for their premium consumer electronics. Bose, in particular, has had a reputation for providing stellar audio products. However, when shopping for soundbars, you can get bogged down in the choices. This guide hopes to dispel some of these choices by giving a more straightforward answer when looking at comparable soundbars from both of these manufacturers.
Bose vs. Sony Soundbars: Side-by-Side Comparison
| Bose Soundbars | Sony Soundbars | |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing | Mid to high-end | Mid to high-end |
| Audio Codec Support | Dolby Atmos, Dolby Digital Sound | Dolby Atmos, Dolby Digital Sound, DTS:X |
| Voice Assistant Support | Alexa and Google are supported on certain models | Alexa and Google Assistant are supported |
| Smartphone Support | Apple AirPlay and Bluetooth | Apple AirPlay and Bluetooth |
| Wireless Connectivity | Bluetooth and Wi-Fi | Bluetooth and Wi-Fi |
| Automatic Room Compensation | Yes, Bose has ADAPTiQ for adapting audio to more reverberant rooms | Yes, Sony has implemented an acoustic calibration in the system menus |
Both Bose and Sony create high-end sound bars, as you’ll see in some more in-depth comparisons. There are some notable differences in how both manufacturers approach soundbars, however.
Bose vs. Sony Soundbars: What’s the Difference?
Sound Quality
Bose is going to win this in most cases. The Bose Smart Soundbar 900 is one of the best choices in its price range. You get a stellar and clear sound with some unique methods of providing spatial sound. The Smart Soundbar 900 is Atmos-compatible, so you can reap all the benefits of compatible media.
Bose implements PhaseGuide technology for providing directional sound. The soundbar itself comes with nine sizable speakers. You won’t need a subwoofer thanks to the clear and present bass on this particular unit. Atmos sound is portrayed authentically, with psychoacoustic trickery used for distance and height.
- Two custom-engineered up firing dipole speakers
- Exclusive Bose Voice4Video technology
- Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, Apple AirPlay 2 and Spotify Connect
- Bose TrueSpace spatial processing
- Built-in Google and Alexa
- Noise-rejecting microphones
Sony soundbars can have a more cramped soundstage, meaning you perceive less overall width. However, these soundbars also use something called 360 Spatial Sound Mapping, which helps to emulate similar sensations as seen in the Bose Smart Soundbar 900.
The closest equivalent from Sony is the HT-A7000, a 7.1.2 soundbar. You’ve got a pair of upward speakers, a pair of beam tweeters, and five speakers facing the viewer for directional sound. It isn’t quite as convincing as Bose’s implementation, but it still does a fair job.
Where Sony has the edge is in the automatic room compensation. Soundbars can fall victim to mediocre sound quality in poorly treated rooms. Sony’s technology automatically compensates for this so you get nominally great sound no matter where the soundbar might be located.
Performance
Overall performance for both soundbars varies quite a bit, as you can imagine. Using Bose’s flagship Smart Soundbar 900 as another example, you’re not going to notice a drop in volume. When the soundbar is active, you can readily fill a large room with sound.
Sony’s offering, the aforementioned HT-A7000, is likewise a clear and present performer. You’re getting quite a bit of volume out of its speaker array. It does seem to struggle a bit when faced with larger rooms, though.
This could be alleviated with acoustic panel treatment, but that’s an additional cost. If you’re spending this much on a soundbar, you don’t really need to splash out for additional accessories to get the top performance out of it.
Pricing
Pricing is a huge sticking point with both soundbar companies. To get a comparable soundbar with the same functionality from Bose, you’re going to be paying substantially less. The Smart Soundbar 900 has a retail price of $899.99, but you can routinely find it on sale for under $700.
- DTS:X, Dolby Atmos, Vertical Surround Sound Engine
- 360 degree sound mapping
- converts audio to 7.1.2 Ch automatically
- 4K/120 and 8K passthrough for the best visuals and gameplay.
Compare that to Sony’s pricing structure, using the HT-A7000 as an example once again. The retail pricing for the HT-A7000 is $1,399.99, with sale prices roughly reaching below $1,000. With this in mind, the Bose is a more cost-effective choice especially when considering the overall performance. You’re spending $400 to $500 less for a more powerful piece of audio technology. The Bose also has better sound quality and more accurate audio spatialization.
Audio Codec Support
Both Bose and Sony are on equal footing when it comes to supported audio codecs. Codecs like Dolby Atmos have been a popular choice for spatial audio without the hard requirements of multi-speaker arrays.
Thankfully, both Sony and Bose have risen to the challenge and have a number of soundbars with full support for Dolby Atmos. They might not be a true depiction of Dolby Atmos, but they do quite well without the need for speakers cluttering your viewing area.
Sony even offers support for the likes of DTS:X, which isn’t an ideal solution for spatial audio but is far better than stereo. Both also support newer Bluetooth protocols, meaning you’re getting less lossy audio when utilizing wireless subwoofers or additional peripherals.
Size
Your soundbar doesn’t do much good if it is taking up a considerable amount of your viewing area’s real estate. Sony soundbars seem to lean toward being larger overall, making for a little more difficulty in placement.
You’re looking at around 54 inches in length for the HT-A7000, which is quite substantial. When you factor in other aspects, like the overall cost and performance of the unit, it does beg the question of whether you need such a large soundbar.
Bose packs quite a bit of power into a smaller overall package. You’re looking at under 42 inches in length for the Smart Soundbar 900. This is a more powerful and better-sounding soundbar, and it is nearly a full foot shorter.
Every viewing space will have different requirements. If you have a smaller viewing space, going for a Bose soundbar might better suit your needs. You’re still going to fill the room with sound, but you can more readily place it near your TV without any concerns.
Bose vs. Sony Soundbars: 6 Must-Know Facts
- Bose soundbars tend to fill the room with sound in a better fashion than their competitors.
- Bose soundbars have a better spatial audio implementation thanks to the likes of PhaseGuide.
- Bose soundbars offer great performance while costing less than the competition.
- Sony soundbars offer automatic room compensation for volume and frequency distribution.
- Sony’s higher-end soundbars offer over seven channels of audio, making them ideal for use in surround sound setups.
- Sony soundbars cost more than the competition, which could be a dealbreaker for some users.
Bose vs. Sony Soundbar: Which One Wins? Which One Should You Choose?
So, which of these soundbar manufacturers should you choose? Sony does offer a compelling product, but the higher cost and average spatialization don’t translate into a must-buy device. You could certainly have an entertaining viewing experience with the audio from a Sony soundbar.
That said, you’re better off choosing a Bose soundbar. They don’t cost nearly as much for equivalent performance and you’re getting a better sound stage. If you’re the sort of viewer who wants optimal audio, then Bose is the choice to make.
You’d be well set with soundbars from either manufacturer. However, if you’re looking for great performance and want to save a little on the side, then Bose has a definite edge over Sony in how its soundbars perform.
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